CNCS Application Instructions - Corporation for National ... · PDF filePlease use these...
Transcript of CNCS Application Instructions - Corporation for National ... · PDF filePlease use these...
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
AmeriCorps State and National Competitive New and Continuation
As applicable to the Notice of Funding Opportunity or Notice of Funding Availability
OMB Control 3045-0047 Expiration Date 06302020
IMPORTANT NOTICE
These application instructions conform to the Corporation for National and Community Servicersquos online grant
application system eGrants All funding announcements by the Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS) are posted on wwwnationalservicegov and wwwgrantsgov
Public Burden Statement Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 80
hours per submission including reviewing instructions gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing
the form Comments on the burden or content of this instrument may be sent to the Corporation for National and
Community Service Attn Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi 250 E Street SW Suite 300 Washington DC 20525
CNCS informs people who may respond to this collection of information that they are not required to respond to the
collection of information unless the OMB control number and expiration date displayed on page one are current and
valid (See 5 CFR 13205(b)(2)(i))
Privacy Act Notice The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC sect 552a) requires that the following notice be provided to
you The information requested on the AmeriCorps Application Instructions is collected pursuant to 42 USC sectsect
12581 - 12585 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and 42 USC sect 4953 of the
Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected
for the purposes of reviewing grant applications and granting funding requests Routine Uses - Routine uses may
include disclosure of the information to federal state or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests In
some programs the information may also be provided to federal state and local law enforcement agencies to
determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions The information may also be provided to appropriate
federal agencies and Department contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting
the Departmentrsquos efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or
information maintained in this system of records and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the
assistance Executive Summaries of all compliant applications received and applications of successful applicants
will be published on the CNCS website as part of ongoing efforts to increase transparency in grantmaking This is
described in more detail in the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity The information will not otherwise be
disclosed to entities outside of AmeriCorps and CNCS without prior written permission Effects of Nondisclosure -
The information requested is mandatory in order to receive benefits
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Grant recipients will be required to report at
wwwFSRSgov on all subawards over $25000 and may be required to report on executive compensation for
recipients and subrecipients Recipients must have the necessary systems in place to collect and report this
information See 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to determine how these requirements apply
Indirect Cost Rates
CNCS allows applicants to include indirect costs in application budgets Based on qualifying factors applicants
have the option of using a federally approved indirect cost rate a 10 de minimis rate of modified total direct costs
or may claim certain costs directly as outlined in 2 CFR sect 200413 Direct costs Applicants who hold a federal
negotiated indirect cost rate must use that rate in lieu of the AmeriCorps 510 allocation of administrative costs
Applicants who hold a state or federal negotiated indirect cost rate or will be using the 10 de minimis rate must
enter that information in the Organization section in eGrants (See Attachment J)
Universal Identifier Applications must include a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number and register with the Central Contractorrsquos Registry (CCR) All grant recipients are required to maintain a
valid registration which must be renewed annually
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Notice 2 Application Resources 4 Submitting Your Application in eGrants 4 I Applicant Info 5 II Application Info 5 III Narratives 5 IV Logic Model 7 V Performance Measures 7 VI Program Information 7 VII Documents 9 VIII Budget Instructions 10 IX FundingDemographics 11 X Operation Sites 12 XI Review Authorize and Submit 12 XII Continuation Requests 13
Tables
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 4 Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 10
ATTACHMENTS
These attachments are worksheets only All information must be entered in eGrants
A Performance Measures Instructions (eGrants Performance Measures Section) 17 B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants 22 C Budget Worksheet 27 D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants 31 E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-amount Grants 33 F Budget Checklist 34 G Alternative Match Instructions 37 H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests 38 I Assurances and Certifications (eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section) 40 J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructionshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip47
3
APPLICATION RESOURCES
Please use these application instructions if you are a new or recompeting applicant to CNCS
If you are submitting a request for continuation to CNCS please see the Continuation Instructions in this document
Use these instructions in conjunction with the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) and the AmeriCorps
Regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 The Notice includes deadlines eligibility requirements submission
requirements maximum amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY)1 and other information that is
specific to the grant competition
The AmeriCorps regulations include pertinent information (see Table 1 below) The Notice can be found at
httpwwwnationalservicegovbuild-your-capacitygrantsfunding-opportunities
The full regulations are available online at
httpswwwgpogovfdsysbrowsecollectionCfractioncollectionCode=CFR
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Topics Citation in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Member Service Activities sect252020 - sect252055
Prohibited Activities sect252065
Tutoring Programs sect2522900-2522950
Matching Funds sect252135-252190
Member Benefits sect2522240-2522250
Calculating Cost Per Member Service Year (MSY) sect2522485
Performance Measures sect2522500-2522650
Evaluation sect2522500-2522540 and sect2522700-2522740
Selection Criteria and Selection Process sect2522400-2522475
If there is any inconsistency between the AmeriCorps regulations the Notice and the Application Instructions the
order of precedence is as follows
1 AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 take precedence over the
2 Notice of Federal Funding OpportunityNotice of Federal Funding Availability which takes precedence
over the
3 Application Instructions
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION IN EGRANTS
New and Recompeting Applicants
New applicants need to establish an eGrants account by accessing this link
httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
In eGrants before Starting Section I you will need to Start a new Grant Application Select a Program Area (AmeriCorps) Select a NOFA (see the Notice for a listing)
Your application consists of the following components Make sure to complete each section I Applicant Info
II Application Info
1 One MSY is equivalent to at least 1700 service hours a full-time AmeriCorps position The CNCS cost per MSY
is determined by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested in the
application It does not include childcare or the cost of the education award
4
III Narratives
IV Logic Model
V Performance Measures
VI Program Information
VII Documents
VIII Budget
IX FundingDemographics
X Review
XI Authorize and Submit
I Applicant Info Information entered in the Applicant Info Application Info and Budget sections will populate the SF 424 Facesheet
If you can only submit your application in hard copy please contact CNCS
If you are recompeting (in the final year of a competitive funding cycle and applying for a new grant cycle)
select ContinuationRenewal
If you are not a current grantee but have received a competitive AmeriCorps grant in the past five years select
ContinuationRenewal
If you are applying for the first time have only received formula funding in the past or are a former grantee
(non-formula) whose last AmeriCorps grant was received more than five years ago select New
If you are a current planning grantee applying for an implementation grant select New
Enter or update the requested information in the fields that appear The contact person needs to be the person
who can answer questions about the application
II Application Info
In the Application Info Section enter
Areas affected by your proposed program Please include the two-letter abbreviation with both letters
capitalized for each state where you plan to operate Separate each two-letter state abbreviation with a
comma For city or county information please follow each one with the two-letter capitalized state
abbreviation
Requested project period start and end dates The length of the project period is specified in the Notice
State Application Identifier Enter NA
The Application is Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process This is pre-filled as
ldquoNo this is not applicablerdquo
Indicate Yes or No if you are delinquent on any federal debt If yes provide an explanation
Request a waiver use this link to request a waiver to the volunteer generation requirement
III Narratives The narrative section of the application is your opportunity to convince reviewers that your project meets the
selection criteria as outlined in the Notice Below are some general recommendations to help you present your
project in a way the reviewers will find compelling and persuasive
Lead with your program strengths and be explicit Do not make the mistake of trying to stretch
your proposed program description to fit funding priorities and special considerations articulated in the
regulations or the Notice
Be clear and succinct Do not use jargon boilerplate language rhetoric or exaggeration Describe
clearly what you intend to do and how your project responds to the selection criteria
Avoid circular reasoning The problem you describe should not be defined as the lack of the solution
you are proposing
Explain how Avoid simply stating that the criteria will be met Explicitly describe how the proposed
project will meet the criteria
5
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
IMPORTANT NOTICE
These application instructions conform to the Corporation for National and Community Servicersquos online grant
application system eGrants All funding announcements by the Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS) are posted on wwwnationalservicegov and wwwgrantsgov
Public Burden Statement Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 80
hours per submission including reviewing instructions gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing
the form Comments on the burden or content of this instrument may be sent to the Corporation for National and
Community Service Attn Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi 250 E Street SW Suite 300 Washington DC 20525
CNCS informs people who may respond to this collection of information that they are not required to respond to the
collection of information unless the OMB control number and expiration date displayed on page one are current and
valid (See 5 CFR 13205(b)(2)(i))
Privacy Act Notice The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC sect 552a) requires that the following notice be provided to
you The information requested on the AmeriCorps Application Instructions is collected pursuant to 42 USC sectsect
12581 - 12585 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and 42 USC sect 4953 of the
Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected
for the purposes of reviewing grant applications and granting funding requests Routine Uses - Routine uses may
include disclosure of the information to federal state or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests In
some programs the information may also be provided to federal state and local law enforcement agencies to
determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions The information may also be provided to appropriate
federal agencies and Department contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting
the Departmentrsquos efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or
information maintained in this system of records and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the
assistance Executive Summaries of all compliant applications received and applications of successful applicants
will be published on the CNCS website as part of ongoing efforts to increase transparency in grantmaking This is
described in more detail in the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity The information will not otherwise be
disclosed to entities outside of AmeriCorps and CNCS without prior written permission Effects of Nondisclosure -
The information requested is mandatory in order to receive benefits
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Grant recipients will be required to report at
wwwFSRSgov on all subawards over $25000 and may be required to report on executive compensation for
recipients and subrecipients Recipients must have the necessary systems in place to collect and report this
information See 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to determine how these requirements apply
Indirect Cost Rates
CNCS allows applicants to include indirect costs in application budgets Based on qualifying factors applicants
have the option of using a federally approved indirect cost rate a 10 de minimis rate of modified total direct costs
or may claim certain costs directly as outlined in 2 CFR sect 200413 Direct costs Applicants who hold a federal
negotiated indirect cost rate must use that rate in lieu of the AmeriCorps 510 allocation of administrative costs
Applicants who hold a state or federal negotiated indirect cost rate or will be using the 10 de minimis rate must
enter that information in the Organization section in eGrants (See Attachment J)
Universal Identifier Applications must include a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number and register with the Central Contractorrsquos Registry (CCR) All grant recipients are required to maintain a
valid registration which must be renewed annually
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Notice 2 Application Resources 4 Submitting Your Application in eGrants 4 I Applicant Info 5 II Application Info 5 III Narratives 5 IV Logic Model 7 V Performance Measures 7 VI Program Information 7 VII Documents 9 VIII Budget Instructions 10 IX FundingDemographics 11 X Operation Sites 12 XI Review Authorize and Submit 12 XII Continuation Requests 13
Tables
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 4 Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 10
ATTACHMENTS
These attachments are worksheets only All information must be entered in eGrants
A Performance Measures Instructions (eGrants Performance Measures Section) 17 B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants 22 C Budget Worksheet 27 D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants 31 E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-amount Grants 33 F Budget Checklist 34 G Alternative Match Instructions 37 H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests 38 I Assurances and Certifications (eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section) 40 J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructionshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip47
3
APPLICATION RESOURCES
Please use these application instructions if you are a new or recompeting applicant to CNCS
If you are submitting a request for continuation to CNCS please see the Continuation Instructions in this document
Use these instructions in conjunction with the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) and the AmeriCorps
Regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 The Notice includes deadlines eligibility requirements submission
requirements maximum amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY)1 and other information that is
specific to the grant competition
The AmeriCorps regulations include pertinent information (see Table 1 below) The Notice can be found at
httpwwwnationalservicegovbuild-your-capacitygrantsfunding-opportunities
The full regulations are available online at
httpswwwgpogovfdsysbrowsecollectionCfractioncollectionCode=CFR
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Topics Citation in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Member Service Activities sect252020 - sect252055
Prohibited Activities sect252065
Tutoring Programs sect2522900-2522950
Matching Funds sect252135-252190
Member Benefits sect2522240-2522250
Calculating Cost Per Member Service Year (MSY) sect2522485
Performance Measures sect2522500-2522650
Evaluation sect2522500-2522540 and sect2522700-2522740
Selection Criteria and Selection Process sect2522400-2522475
If there is any inconsistency between the AmeriCorps regulations the Notice and the Application Instructions the
order of precedence is as follows
1 AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 take precedence over the
2 Notice of Federal Funding OpportunityNotice of Federal Funding Availability which takes precedence
over the
3 Application Instructions
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION IN EGRANTS
New and Recompeting Applicants
New applicants need to establish an eGrants account by accessing this link
httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
In eGrants before Starting Section I you will need to Start a new Grant Application Select a Program Area (AmeriCorps) Select a NOFA (see the Notice for a listing)
Your application consists of the following components Make sure to complete each section I Applicant Info
II Application Info
1 One MSY is equivalent to at least 1700 service hours a full-time AmeriCorps position The CNCS cost per MSY
is determined by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested in the
application It does not include childcare or the cost of the education award
4
III Narratives
IV Logic Model
V Performance Measures
VI Program Information
VII Documents
VIII Budget
IX FundingDemographics
X Review
XI Authorize and Submit
I Applicant Info Information entered in the Applicant Info Application Info and Budget sections will populate the SF 424 Facesheet
If you can only submit your application in hard copy please contact CNCS
If you are recompeting (in the final year of a competitive funding cycle and applying for a new grant cycle)
select ContinuationRenewal
If you are not a current grantee but have received a competitive AmeriCorps grant in the past five years select
ContinuationRenewal
If you are applying for the first time have only received formula funding in the past or are a former grantee
(non-formula) whose last AmeriCorps grant was received more than five years ago select New
If you are a current planning grantee applying for an implementation grant select New
Enter or update the requested information in the fields that appear The contact person needs to be the person
who can answer questions about the application
II Application Info
In the Application Info Section enter
Areas affected by your proposed program Please include the two-letter abbreviation with both letters
capitalized for each state where you plan to operate Separate each two-letter state abbreviation with a
comma For city or county information please follow each one with the two-letter capitalized state
abbreviation
Requested project period start and end dates The length of the project period is specified in the Notice
State Application Identifier Enter NA
The Application is Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process This is pre-filled as
ldquoNo this is not applicablerdquo
Indicate Yes or No if you are delinquent on any federal debt If yes provide an explanation
Request a waiver use this link to request a waiver to the volunteer generation requirement
III Narratives The narrative section of the application is your opportunity to convince reviewers that your project meets the
selection criteria as outlined in the Notice Below are some general recommendations to help you present your
project in a way the reviewers will find compelling and persuasive
Lead with your program strengths and be explicit Do not make the mistake of trying to stretch
your proposed program description to fit funding priorities and special considerations articulated in the
regulations or the Notice
Be clear and succinct Do not use jargon boilerplate language rhetoric or exaggeration Describe
clearly what you intend to do and how your project responds to the selection criteria
Avoid circular reasoning The problem you describe should not be defined as the lack of the solution
you are proposing
Explain how Avoid simply stating that the criteria will be met Explicitly describe how the proposed
project will meet the criteria
5
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Notice 2 Application Resources 4 Submitting Your Application in eGrants 4 I Applicant Info 5 II Application Info 5 III Narratives 5 IV Logic Model 7 V Performance Measures 7 VI Program Information 7 VII Documents 9 VIII Budget Instructions 10 IX FundingDemographics 11 X Operation Sites 12 XI Review Authorize and Submit 12 XII Continuation Requests 13
Tables
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 4 Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations 10
ATTACHMENTS
These attachments are worksheets only All information must be entered in eGrants
A Performance Measures Instructions (eGrants Performance Measures Section) 17 B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants 22 C Budget Worksheet 27 D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants 31 E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-amount Grants 33 F Budget Checklist 34 G Alternative Match Instructions 37 H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests 38 I Assurances and Certifications (eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section) 40 J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructionshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip47
3
APPLICATION RESOURCES
Please use these application instructions if you are a new or recompeting applicant to CNCS
If you are submitting a request for continuation to CNCS please see the Continuation Instructions in this document
Use these instructions in conjunction with the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) and the AmeriCorps
Regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 The Notice includes deadlines eligibility requirements submission
requirements maximum amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY)1 and other information that is
specific to the grant competition
The AmeriCorps regulations include pertinent information (see Table 1 below) The Notice can be found at
httpwwwnationalservicegovbuild-your-capacitygrantsfunding-opportunities
The full regulations are available online at
httpswwwgpogovfdsysbrowsecollectionCfractioncollectionCode=CFR
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Topics Citation in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Member Service Activities sect252020 - sect252055
Prohibited Activities sect252065
Tutoring Programs sect2522900-2522950
Matching Funds sect252135-252190
Member Benefits sect2522240-2522250
Calculating Cost Per Member Service Year (MSY) sect2522485
Performance Measures sect2522500-2522650
Evaluation sect2522500-2522540 and sect2522700-2522740
Selection Criteria and Selection Process sect2522400-2522475
If there is any inconsistency between the AmeriCorps regulations the Notice and the Application Instructions the
order of precedence is as follows
1 AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 take precedence over the
2 Notice of Federal Funding OpportunityNotice of Federal Funding Availability which takes precedence
over the
3 Application Instructions
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION IN EGRANTS
New and Recompeting Applicants
New applicants need to establish an eGrants account by accessing this link
httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
In eGrants before Starting Section I you will need to Start a new Grant Application Select a Program Area (AmeriCorps) Select a NOFA (see the Notice for a listing)
Your application consists of the following components Make sure to complete each section I Applicant Info
II Application Info
1 One MSY is equivalent to at least 1700 service hours a full-time AmeriCorps position The CNCS cost per MSY
is determined by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested in the
application It does not include childcare or the cost of the education award
4
III Narratives
IV Logic Model
V Performance Measures
VI Program Information
VII Documents
VIII Budget
IX FundingDemographics
X Review
XI Authorize and Submit
I Applicant Info Information entered in the Applicant Info Application Info and Budget sections will populate the SF 424 Facesheet
If you can only submit your application in hard copy please contact CNCS
If you are recompeting (in the final year of a competitive funding cycle and applying for a new grant cycle)
select ContinuationRenewal
If you are not a current grantee but have received a competitive AmeriCorps grant in the past five years select
ContinuationRenewal
If you are applying for the first time have only received formula funding in the past or are a former grantee
(non-formula) whose last AmeriCorps grant was received more than five years ago select New
If you are a current planning grantee applying for an implementation grant select New
Enter or update the requested information in the fields that appear The contact person needs to be the person
who can answer questions about the application
II Application Info
In the Application Info Section enter
Areas affected by your proposed program Please include the two-letter abbreviation with both letters
capitalized for each state where you plan to operate Separate each two-letter state abbreviation with a
comma For city or county information please follow each one with the two-letter capitalized state
abbreviation
Requested project period start and end dates The length of the project period is specified in the Notice
State Application Identifier Enter NA
The Application is Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process This is pre-filled as
ldquoNo this is not applicablerdquo
Indicate Yes or No if you are delinquent on any federal debt If yes provide an explanation
Request a waiver use this link to request a waiver to the volunteer generation requirement
III Narratives The narrative section of the application is your opportunity to convince reviewers that your project meets the
selection criteria as outlined in the Notice Below are some general recommendations to help you present your
project in a way the reviewers will find compelling and persuasive
Lead with your program strengths and be explicit Do not make the mistake of trying to stretch
your proposed program description to fit funding priorities and special considerations articulated in the
regulations or the Notice
Be clear and succinct Do not use jargon boilerplate language rhetoric or exaggeration Describe
clearly what you intend to do and how your project responds to the selection criteria
Avoid circular reasoning The problem you describe should not be defined as the lack of the solution
you are proposing
Explain how Avoid simply stating that the criteria will be met Explicitly describe how the proposed
project will meet the criteria
5
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
APPLICATION RESOURCES
Please use these application instructions if you are a new or recompeting applicant to CNCS
If you are submitting a request for continuation to CNCS please see the Continuation Instructions in this document
Use these instructions in conjunction with the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) and the AmeriCorps
Regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 The Notice includes deadlines eligibility requirements submission
requirements maximum amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY)1 and other information that is
specific to the grant competition
The AmeriCorps regulations include pertinent information (see Table 1 below) The Notice can be found at
httpwwwnationalservicegovbuild-your-capacitygrantsfunding-opportunities
The full regulations are available online at
httpswwwgpogovfdsysbrowsecollectionCfractioncollectionCode=CFR
Table 1 Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Topics Citation in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Member Service Activities sect252020 - sect252055
Prohibited Activities sect252065
Tutoring Programs sect2522900-2522950
Matching Funds sect252135-252190
Member Benefits sect2522240-2522250
Calculating Cost Per Member Service Year (MSY) sect2522485
Performance Measures sect2522500-2522650
Evaluation sect2522500-2522540 and sect2522700-2522740
Selection Criteria and Selection Process sect2522400-2522475
If there is any inconsistency between the AmeriCorps regulations the Notice and the Application Instructions the
order of precedence is as follows
1 AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR sectsect 2520ndash2550 take precedence over the
2 Notice of Federal Funding OpportunityNotice of Federal Funding Availability which takes precedence
over the
3 Application Instructions
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION IN EGRANTS
New and Recompeting Applicants
New applicants need to establish an eGrants account by accessing this link
httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
In eGrants before Starting Section I you will need to Start a new Grant Application Select a Program Area (AmeriCorps) Select a NOFA (see the Notice for a listing)
Your application consists of the following components Make sure to complete each section I Applicant Info
II Application Info
1 One MSY is equivalent to at least 1700 service hours a full-time AmeriCorps position The CNCS cost per MSY
is determined by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested in the
application It does not include childcare or the cost of the education award
4
III Narratives
IV Logic Model
V Performance Measures
VI Program Information
VII Documents
VIII Budget
IX FundingDemographics
X Review
XI Authorize and Submit
I Applicant Info Information entered in the Applicant Info Application Info and Budget sections will populate the SF 424 Facesheet
If you can only submit your application in hard copy please contact CNCS
If you are recompeting (in the final year of a competitive funding cycle and applying for a new grant cycle)
select ContinuationRenewal
If you are not a current grantee but have received a competitive AmeriCorps grant in the past five years select
ContinuationRenewal
If you are applying for the first time have only received formula funding in the past or are a former grantee
(non-formula) whose last AmeriCorps grant was received more than five years ago select New
If you are a current planning grantee applying for an implementation grant select New
Enter or update the requested information in the fields that appear The contact person needs to be the person
who can answer questions about the application
II Application Info
In the Application Info Section enter
Areas affected by your proposed program Please include the two-letter abbreviation with both letters
capitalized for each state where you plan to operate Separate each two-letter state abbreviation with a
comma For city or county information please follow each one with the two-letter capitalized state
abbreviation
Requested project period start and end dates The length of the project period is specified in the Notice
State Application Identifier Enter NA
The Application is Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process This is pre-filled as
ldquoNo this is not applicablerdquo
Indicate Yes or No if you are delinquent on any federal debt If yes provide an explanation
Request a waiver use this link to request a waiver to the volunteer generation requirement
III Narratives The narrative section of the application is your opportunity to convince reviewers that your project meets the
selection criteria as outlined in the Notice Below are some general recommendations to help you present your
project in a way the reviewers will find compelling and persuasive
Lead with your program strengths and be explicit Do not make the mistake of trying to stretch
your proposed program description to fit funding priorities and special considerations articulated in the
regulations or the Notice
Be clear and succinct Do not use jargon boilerplate language rhetoric or exaggeration Describe
clearly what you intend to do and how your project responds to the selection criteria
Avoid circular reasoning The problem you describe should not be defined as the lack of the solution
you are proposing
Explain how Avoid simply stating that the criteria will be met Explicitly describe how the proposed
project will meet the criteria
5
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
III Narratives
IV Logic Model
V Performance Measures
VI Program Information
VII Documents
VIII Budget
IX FundingDemographics
X Review
XI Authorize and Submit
I Applicant Info Information entered in the Applicant Info Application Info and Budget sections will populate the SF 424 Facesheet
If you can only submit your application in hard copy please contact CNCS
If you are recompeting (in the final year of a competitive funding cycle and applying for a new grant cycle)
select ContinuationRenewal
If you are not a current grantee but have received a competitive AmeriCorps grant in the past five years select
ContinuationRenewal
If you are applying for the first time have only received formula funding in the past or are a former grantee
(non-formula) whose last AmeriCorps grant was received more than five years ago select New
If you are a current planning grantee applying for an implementation grant select New
Enter or update the requested information in the fields that appear The contact person needs to be the person
who can answer questions about the application
II Application Info
In the Application Info Section enter
Areas affected by your proposed program Please include the two-letter abbreviation with both letters
capitalized for each state where you plan to operate Separate each two-letter state abbreviation with a
comma For city or county information please follow each one with the two-letter capitalized state
abbreviation
Requested project period start and end dates The length of the project period is specified in the Notice
State Application Identifier Enter NA
The Application is Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process This is pre-filled as
ldquoNo this is not applicablerdquo
Indicate Yes or No if you are delinquent on any federal debt If yes provide an explanation
Request a waiver use this link to request a waiver to the volunteer generation requirement
III Narratives The narrative section of the application is your opportunity to convince reviewers that your project meets the
selection criteria as outlined in the Notice Below are some general recommendations to help you present your
project in a way the reviewers will find compelling and persuasive
Lead with your program strengths and be explicit Do not make the mistake of trying to stretch
your proposed program description to fit funding priorities and special considerations articulated in the
regulations or the Notice
Be clear and succinct Do not use jargon boilerplate language rhetoric or exaggeration Describe
clearly what you intend to do and how your project responds to the selection criteria
Avoid circular reasoning The problem you describe should not be defined as the lack of the solution
you are proposing
Explain how Avoid simply stating that the criteria will be met Explicitly describe how the proposed
project will meet the criteria
5
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Donrsquot make assumptions Even if you have received funding from CNCS in the past do not assume
your reviewers know anything about you your proposed program your partners or your beneficiaries
Avoid overuse of acronyms
Use an impartial proofreader Before you submit your application let someone who is completely
unfamiliar with your project read and critique the project narrative
Follow the instructions and discuss each criterion in the order they are presented in the
instructions Use headings to differentiate narrative sections by criterion
In eGrants you will enter text for
Executive Summary
Rationale and Approach (Program Design)
Organizational Capability
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
Evaluation Summary or Plan
Note The Narratives Section also includes fields for Clarification Summary Amendment Justification and
Continuation Changes Please enter NA in these fields They will be used at a later date to enter information
for clarification following review to request amendments once a grant is awarded and to enter changes in the
narrative in continuation requests
Reviewers will assess your application against the selection criteria To best respond to the criteria listed in the
Notice and Application Instructions we suggest that you include a brief discussion of each bullet that pertains to
your application
A Executive Summary
Please complete the executive summary per the guidance in the Notice
B Selection Criteria
Each application must clearly describe a project that will effectively deploy AmeriCorps members to solve a
significant community problem Specifics about the selection criteria are published in the Notice
1 Program Design (50 percent)
In assessing Rationale and ApproachProgram Design reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant
demonstrates how AmeriCorps members and the proposed intervention are particularly well-suited to addressing the
identified community problem
2 Organizational Capability (25 percent)
Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational background and staffing and
structures including compliance and accountability to support the proposed program
3 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)
In assessing Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy reviewers will examine the degree to which the budget is
cost effective and appropriate for the program being proposed
C Evaluation Summary or Plan
If you are competing for the first time please provide your data collection plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan
field If you are recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time please provide your Evaluation Plan Please
follow the guidance in the Notice
D Amendment Justification
Enter NA This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it
E Clarification Information
Enter NA This field may be used to enter information that requires clarification in the post-review period Please
clearly label new information added during clarification with the date
6
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
F Continuation Changes
Enter NA This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation requests
IV Logic Model Complete the logic model using the guidance provided in the Notice
To begin entering your logic model from your eGrants application page select ldquoLogic Modelrdquo in the left side
navigation menu
In the first blank row of the logic model click ldquoeditrdquo Clicking this link will open a pop-up screen with fields for
each column of the logic model Complete any fields that are applicable there are no required fields in this screen
When you are finished click ldquosave and closerdquo
You may add an unlimited number of rows to the logic model by clicking ldquoadd a new rowrdquo However please be
mindful of any page limits specified elsewhere in the Application Instructions or Notice
You may edit or delete an existing row by clicking ldquoeditrdquo or ldquodeleterdquo in the last column of the logic model
V Performance Measures All applicants must submit performance measures with their application See Attachment A for instructions for
entering performance measures CNCS may use the performance measures separately from the grant narrative after
grant-making Thus all information requested in the National Performance Measures Instructions must be included
in the text of the performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all
definitions and requirements outlined in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met
Should an applicant choose to provide information about performance measures in the narrative this information
will also need to be in the performance measures module
For more information about Performance Measures go to httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-
measurementamericorps
For more information about the National Performance Measures go to
httpwwwnationalservicegovresourcesperformance-measurement
VI Program Information
In the Program Information Section applicants must check the relevant boxes in order to be considered for CNCSrsquo
assessment of the strategic considerations and Special Initiatives Applicants should only check the boxes for those
characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information select either ldquoYesrdquo or ldquoNordquo from the drop-down menu
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
7
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box(es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population ndash Native Americans
8
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver ldquoelevator speechesrdquo
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VII Documents
In addition to the application submitted in eGrants you are required to provide your evaluation labor union
concurrence (if necessary ndash see B below) a federally-approved indirect cost agreement (if applicable and as
indicated in the Notice which specifies that indirect cost rate agreements should be provided in eGrants) other
required documents listed in the Notice (if applicable) and an explanation of federal debt delinquency (if
applicable) as part of your application After you have submitted the documents via the guidance in the Notice
change the status in eGrants from the default ldquoNot Sentrdquo to the applicable status ldquoSentrdquo ldquoNot Applicablerdquo or
ldquoAlready on File at CNCSrdquo
A Evaluation
Submit any completed report as described in F below Select Evaluation and select ldquoSentrdquo once you have submitted
a completed evaluation report If an evaluation is required you must submit a copy at the time of application even if
CNCS may already have it on file
B Labor Union Concurrence
1) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to serve as the placement site for AmeriCorps members and
b) Has employees engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out by
AmeriCorps members and
c) Those employees are represented by a local labor organization
--then the application must include the written concurrence of the local labor organization representing
those employees Written concurrence can be in the form of a letter or e-mail from the local union
leadership
2) If a program applicant
a) Proposes to place AmeriCorps members at sites where they will be engaged in the same or
substantially similar work as employees represented by a local labor organization then the applicant
must submit a written description of how it will ensure that
i) AmeriCorps members will not be placed in positions that were recently occupied by paid staff
ii) No AmeriCorps member will be placed into a position for which a recently resigned or discharged
employee has recall rights as a result of a collective bargaining agreement from which a recently
resigned or discharged employee was removed as a result of a reduction in force or from which a
recently resigneddischarged employee is on leave or strike
For the purposes of this section ldquoprogram applicantrdquo includes any applicant to CNCS or a State Commission as
well as any entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a CNCS grantee or
subgrantee
9
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
C Federally-approved Indirect Cost Agreement
Applicants applying directly to CNCS that include a federally approved indirect cost rate amount in their budget
must submit the current approved indirect cost rate agreement in eGrants at the same time they submit their
application See Attachment J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions
D Other Documents
Provide other required documents list in the Notice (if applicable) via the email listed in the Notice as part of your
application
E Delinquent on Federal Debt
Any applicant that checks Yes to the question on federal debt delinquency must submit a complete explanation to
Additionaldocumentscnsgov at the same time as application submission
F Submission Instructions for Evaluations Labor Union Concurrence Other Required Documents and
Explanation of Federal Debt Delinquency as applicable
Please submit the required documents to the email listed in the Notice using the naming convention and other
instructions found there This information must be received at CNCS by the deadline in the Notice
VIII Budget Instructions
For Fixed-Amount grants including EAPs Use the Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount applicants
(Attachment) and the Budget Worksheet (Attachment) to prepare your budget
A Match Requirements
Program requirements including requirements on match are located in the AmeriCorps regulations and summarized
below
Table 2 Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations
Grant Type Match Requirement
Cost Reimbursement (including
Professional Corps States and
Territories without Commissions
and Indian Tribes)
Minimum grantee share is 24 of program costs for the first 3 years
Overall grantee share of total program costs increases gradually beginning
in Year 4 to 50 by the 10th year of funding and any year thereafter
EAP Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Professional Corps Fixed-Amount
Grants
There are no specific match requirements for fixed-amount grants Grantees
pay all program costs over the cost in the NOFO provided by CNCS
Stipended Fixed-Amount Grants There are no specific match requirements for full-time fixed-amount grants
Grantees pay all program costs over the maximum cost in the NOFO
provided by CNCS
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet
the overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the
first three years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash
252190 for the specific regulations
If you are applying for the first time you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 24 of the
projectrsquos total Operating Costs (Section I) plus Member Costs (Section II) plus Administrative Costs (Section
III) If you are recompeting please see 45 CFR sectsect 252140-252195 for the match schedule
The acceptable sources of matching funds are federal state local andor private sector funds in accordance
with applicable AmeriCorps requirements
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the
match Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar
amount the match classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your
10
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
entire match Define all acronyms the first time they are used See Attachment G for instructions for applying
for the Alternative Match Schedule
Note CNCS legislation permits the use of non-CNCS federal funds as match for the grantee share of the budget
Please discuss your intention of using federal funds to match an AmeriCorps grant with the other agency prior to
submitting your application Section 121(e)(5) of the National Community Service Act requires that grantees who
use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and source of these funds to CNCS If
you use other federal funds as match you must ensure you can meet the requirements and purpose of both grants
Grantees who use federal funds as match will be required to report the sources and amounts on the Federal Financial
Report (FFR)
B Preparing Your Budget
Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your narrative Reviewers will consider the information you provide in this section in their assessment of the Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy selection criterion
Follow the detailed budget instructions in the Attachments to prepare your budget We recommend that you prepare your budget in the same order as indicated in the Budget Worksheets in the Attachments
As you enter your detailed budget information eGrants will automatically populate a budget summary and budget narrative report Prior to submission be sure to review the budget checklist (Attachment) to ensure your budget is compliant In addition eGrants will perform a limited compliance check to validate the budget If eGrants finds any compliance issues you will receive a warning andor error messages You must resolve all errors before you can submit your budget
As you prepare your budget All the amounts you request must be defined for a particular purpose Do not include miscellaneous
contingency or other undefined budget amounts
Itemize each cost and present the basis for all calculations in the form of an equation
Do not include unallowable expenses eg entertainment costs (which include food and beverage costs) unless
they are justified as an essential component of an activity
Do not include fractional amounts (cents)
Programs must comply with all applicable federal laws regulations and the requirements of the Omni Circular
Please refer to the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (2 CFR Part 200) for allowable allocable and reasonable cost information as well as audit requirements
including the need to provide audits to the Clearinghouse if expending over $750000 in federal funds as required in
the OmniCircular The OMB OmniCircular can be found on-line at httpswwwecfrgovcgi-bintext-
idxtpl=ecfrbrowseTitle022cfr200_main_02tpl
IX FundingDemographics In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not
identified on the application budget as CNCS share or grantee share (match) Note Programs should not enter
the total operating budget for their organization unless the entire operating budget supports the AmeriCorps
program Programs that have additional revenue sources not included in the matching funds section of the
budget should provide the amount of this additional revenue that supports the program This amount should not
include the CNCS or grantee share amounts in the budget Fixed amount grantees should enter all non-CNCS
funds that support the program in this field All fixed grants will have other revenue
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one-day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth if any
Number of reported in performance measure O15 who are opportunity youth
11
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Number of reported in performance measure O17 who are opportunity youth
X Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants that are operating in more than one state) Please fill in the following information for your operating sites organization name address city state zip code
+ 0000 (eGrants will correct the last four digits to the correct numbers) amount of funding going to the
operating site and number of proposed AmeriCorps members that will be located at the site
XI Review Authorize and Submit
eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Everyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
12
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
CONTINUATION REQUESTS
The following instructions for submitting a continuation request apply only to programs that are currently in their
first or second year of operation within a grant cycle If your program is currently in the final year of its grant cycle
you must apply using the application instructions for new and recompeting programs In addition if you are in year
two or three of a cost-reimbursement grant cycle you need to submit a new application to participate in the fixed-
amount grant you cannot continue your existing project period and switch from cost-reimbursement to fixed-
amount CNCS reserves the right to consider your continuation request if your fixed-amount application is not
funded
When to Submit Your Continuation Request
See the Notice for application deadlines
How to Submit Your Continuation Request
Click ContinuationRenewal on your eGrants home page You will be shown a list of grants that are eligible to
be continued Select the grant you wish to continue Make sure you select the correct one Do not start a new
application The system will copy your most recently awarded application
Edit your continuation application as directed in the continuation request instructions below When you have
completed your work click the SUBMIT button
Be sure you also review the Notice when preparing your request If you have questions about the content of your
continuation request please contact your Program Officer
What to Include in Your Continuation Request
I Applicant Info and Application Info Update the Applicant Info and Application Info Sections in eGrants if necessary Note in the Continuation Changes
field that you have updated the Applicant Info or Application Info Section(s)
II Narrative (Narratives Section) Your original application will appear in the Executive Summary and in the narrative sections Rationale and
ApproachProgram Design Organizational Capability Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation
Summary or Plan Amendment Justification Clarification Information and Continuation Changes as appropriate
Do not modify these original narrative fields
CNCS expects that programs will maintain a consistent program design for the duration of the three-year project
period however we recognize that on occasion some programmatic changes are necessary As a result
continuation applicants may request the changes listed below during the continuation process
Information should be provided in the Continuation Changes narrative field as relevant
Changes in Operating Sites
Significant Changes in Program Scope or Design
Changes to Performance Measures
Significant Changes to Monitoring Structures or Staffing
Budget revisions (detail provided in section VI) Applicants may only request to reduce funding andor
slots but may not request funding andor slot increases during the continuation process If funding
reductions are requested please correct the funding amounts listed in the Executive Summary
The page limit for the Continuation Changes field is six pages as the pages print out from eGrants
Any continuation applicant not requesting changes that fit within the above categories should enter ldquoNArdquo in
Continuation Changes CNCS expects that most continuation applications will not be requesting changes
III Logic Model
13
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Continuation applicants do not need to enter content into these fields unless changes to the originally-submitted
logic model are being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IV Performance Measures (Performance Measures Section)Your performance measures are copied from your previous yearrsquos application into your continuation request If you
made changes to your program such as adding or changing grant-funded activities you may need to revise your
performance measures To revise performance measures ldquoViewEditrdquo the performance measures that copy over
from your original application or add new performance measures (see Attachment A) Note in the Continuation
Changes field that you have updated your performance measures If you are proposing to significantly increase or
decrease output or outcome targets for existing performance measures provide a justification for this change
V Program Information In the Program Information Section review and make selections as appropriate Applicants should only select
priorities and characteristics that represent a significant part of the program
General Information Select either Yes or No from the drop-down menu for the following
My organization has received an AmeriCorps State and National Grant
Organizations that have been a host site for AmeriCorps members but never had a direct grant relationship with
either a State Commission or CNCS should answer No
The organization has sufficiently engaged community members and partner organizations in planning and
implementing its intervention
My organization certifies that it will comply with definitions and requirements outlined in the Performance
Measures Instructions
AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
Check any priority area(s) that apply to the proposed program Only select Priorities that represent a significant part
of the program focus high quality program design and outcomes
Disaster Services - improving community resiliency through disaster preparation response recovery and
mitigation
Economic Opportunity - increasing economic opportunities for communities by engaging opportunity youth
either as the population served andor as AmeriCorps members to prepare them for the workforce
Education - improving student academic performance in Science Technology Engineering andor
Mathematics (STEM)
Healthy Futures - reducing andor preventing prescription drug and opioid abuse
Veterans and Military Families - positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military
family strength
Governor and Mayor(s) Initiatives
Rural intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited
resources and organizational infrastructure
Safer Communities - programs that focus on public safety preventing and mitigating civil unrest andor
partnerships between law enforcement and the community
Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grants
Encore Programs - programs that engage Americans age 55 and older
No NOFO priority area
Populations Served
Check the appropriate box (es) to identify the populations the proposed program will serve If you do not plan to
serve any of the listed populations select None of the above
Individuals who are homeless
Adult ESL participants
Youth ESL participants
Disadvantaged youth (K-12)
Head Start participants
14
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Immigrants and refugees
Individuals receiving hospice or other care for terminal illness
Individuals receiving mental health services
Individuals receiving substance abuse services
Individuals with HIVAIDS
Individuals with physical or developmental disabilities
Senior Citizens
VictimsSurvivors of violence and abuse
Veterans
Veteran family members
Caregivers
None of the Above
Grant Characteristics
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
SIGPriority Schools
Professional Corps
STEM Program
Geographic Focus ndash Urban
Geographic Focus ndash Rural
None of the above grant characteristics
Grant Characteristics- AmeriCorps Member Population
Check any grant characteristics that are a significant part of the proposed program
AmeriCorps Member Population - Communities of Color
AmeriCorps Member Population - Low-income individuals
AmeriCorps Member Population - Native Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - New Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - Older Americans
AmeriCorps Member Population - People with Disabilities
AmeriCorps Member Population - Rural Residents
AmeriCorps Member Population - Veterans Active Military or their Families
AmeriCorps Member Population - Economically Disadvantaged Young AdultsOpportunity Youth
AmeriCorps Member Population - None of the above categories
AmeriCorps IdentityCo-branding Questions Select Yes or No
AmeriCorps members will wear the AmeriCorps logo every day
AmeriCorps members will create and deliver elevator speeches
The AmeriCorps logo will be prominently displayed on the front page of the organizationrsquos website
VI Budget (Budget Section)
Your budget from the previous yearrsquos application is copied into your continuation request so you can make the
necessary adjustments Revise your detailed budget for the upcoming year Incorporate any required CNCS
increases such as an increase to the member living allowance into your budget The CNCS total share of the budget
should not be increased CNCS expects that the Cost per MSY for continuation applicants will decrease or remain
the same
Source of Funds (Match)
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
15
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used
VII Increasing Grantee Overall Share of Total Budgeted Costs Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
See Attachments for instructions for applying for the Alternative Match Schedule
In the FundingDemographics Section enter
Other Revenue funds Enter the amount of funds that your program uses to run the program that are not CNCS
share or match
Number of Episodic Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who will be participating in one day service projects that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Number of Ongoing Volunteers Generated by AmeriCorps members Please enter the number of volunteers
who have an ongoing volunteer commitment that the proposed AmeriCorps members will generate
Percentage of MSYs who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O15 who are opportunity youth
Number of reported in O17 who are opportunity youth
VIII Operating Sites (for multi-state applicants only)
In the Multi-State Operating Section (for applicants who are operating in more than one state)
Make any changes to operating sites being requested as part of Continuation Changes
IX Review Authorize and Submit eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application before submitting by completing the following
sections in eGrants
Review
Authorize
Assurances
Certifications
Verify
Submit
Read the Authorization Assurances and Certifications carefully (Attachment I) The person who authorizes the
application must be the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative or hisher designee and must have an active eGrants
account to sign these documents electronically An Authorized Representative is the person in your organization
authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization A copy of the governing bodyrsquos authorization
for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicantrsquos office
Be sure to check your entire application prior to submission to ensure that there are no errors eGrants will also
generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to submission when you verify the
application If someone else is acting in the role of the applicantrsquos Authorized Representative that person must log
into hisher eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit After signing off on the Authorization
Assurances and Certifications hisher name will override any previous signatory that may appear and show on the
application as the Authorized Representative
Note Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at any point during
application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own eGrants account Individuals
may establish an eGrants account by accessing this link httpsegrantscnsgovespanmainloginjsp and selecting
ldquoDonrsquot have an eGrants account Create an accountrdquo
16
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT A Performance Measures Instructions
(eGrants Performance Measures Section)
eGrants Performance Measures Module Instructions
About the Performance Measures Module
In the performance measures module you will
Provide information about your programrsquos connection to CNCS focus areas and objectives
Show MSY and member allocations
Create at least one aligned performance measure plus additional measure(s) if appropriate
Set targets and describe data collection plans for your performance measures
Home Page
To start the module click the ldquoBeginrdquo button on the Home Page
As you proceed through the module the Home Page will summarize your work and provide links to edit the parts of
the module you have completed You may also navigate sections of the module using the tab feature at the top of
each page
Once you have started the module clicking ldquoContinue Workingrdquo will return you to the tab you were on when you
last closed the module
To edit the interventions objectives MSYs and member allocations for your application click the ldquoEdit
ObjectivesMSYsMembersrdquo button
After you have created at least one performance measure the Home Page will display a chart summarizing your
measures To edit a performance measure click the ldquoEditrdquo button To delete a measure click ldquoDeleterdquo To create a
new performance measure click the ldquoAdd New Performance Measurerdquo button
Objectives Tab
On the objectives tab applicants will account for the full range of their program activity Applicants are not
expected to create performance measures for every focus area objective or intervention they select on this tab
An expandable list of CNCS focus areas appears on this tab When you click on a focus area a list of objectives
from the CNCS strategic plan appears A list of common interventions appears under each objective
First click on a focus area Then click on an objective All national performance measures fall under a strategic plan
objective Only the performance measures that correspond to the strategic plan objectives you select on this tab will
be available for selection as you continue through this module To see which performance measures correspond to
which objective refer to the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions
httpswwwnationalservicegovsitesdefaultfilesdocuments201820Performance20Measures20Instructions
20Finalpdf
Next select all interventions that are part of your program design Interventions are the activities that members and
volunteers will carry out to address the problem(s) identified in the application Select ldquootherrdquo if one of your
programrsquos interventions does not appear on the list Repeat these actions for each of your programrsquos focus areas
Select ldquootherrdquo for your focus area andor objective if your program activities do not fall within one of the CNCS
focus areas or objectives
17
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Choose your programrsquos primary focus area from the drop-down list Only the focus areas that correspond to the
objectives you selected above appear in the list Next select the primary intervention within your primary focus
area You will be required to create an aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) that contains your
primary intervention
You may select a secondary focus area and a secondary intervention The primary and secondary focus area may be
the same if you have more than one intervention within the focus area
MSYsMembers Tab
On this tab you will enter information about the allocation of MSYs and members across the focus areas and
objectives you have selected You will allocate 100 of your programrsquos MSYs to focus areas and objectives When
you create your performance measures you will be asked to allocate MSYs to each performance measure however
you will not be required to assign 100 of your total MSYs to performance measures
Begin by entering the total MSYs for your program This must match the total MSYs in your budget Please double-
check your budget to make sure that the total MSY values match
Next enter the number of MSYs your program will allocate to each objective Only the objectives that were selected
on the previous tab appear in the MSY chart If some of your programrsquos objectives are not represented in the chart
return to the previous tab and select additional objectives The MSY chart must show how all your programrsquos
resources are allocated If you have selected the Find Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus
area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the Education focus area) enter 0 MSYs for these objectives and
allocate your MSYs to the other objectives you selected If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 MSYs for that objective also
As you enter MSYs into the MSY column of the chart the corresponding percentage of MSYs will calculate
automatically When you have finished entering your MSYs the total percentage of MSYs in the chart must be
100 The total number of MSYs in the chart must equal the number of MSYs in your budget
In the members column enter the number of members who will be assigned to each objective Some members may
perform services across more than one objective If this is the case allocate these members to all applicable
objectives For example if one member works on both school readiness and K-12 success allocate one member to
each of these objectives It is acceptable for the total number of members in this table to exceed total slots requested
in the application due to counting membersrsquo service across multiple objectives If you have selected the Find
Opportunity objective (under the Economic Opportunity focus area) andor the Teacher Corps objective (under the
Education focus area) enter 0 members for these objectives If the only activity in another objective that you have
selected is focused on member development enter 0 members for that objective also
To ensure that information is entered accurately please refer to additional guidance in Appendix A of the National
Performance Measure Instructions on calculating and entering MSY and member allocations
Performance Measures Tab
CNCS no longer requires National Performance Measures outputs to be paired with corresponding National
Performance Measures outcomes National Performance Measures outputs may now be paired with applicant-
determined outcomes or may not be paired with any outcome The latter is referred to as an ldquooutput-only measurerdquo
in these instructions Refer to selection rules in the National Performance Measures Instructions to ensure that your
performance measures meet CNCS requirements
This tab allows you to create performance measures for all the grant activities you intend to measure
You must create at least one aligned performance measure (either a National Performance Measure or an applicant-
determined measure) that includes your primary intervention You may create additional aligned performance
measures andor output-only measures provided that they measure significant program activities There is no
18
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
expectation that 100 of program activity would be allocated to National Performance Measures or to any
performance measures at all
Begin by creating the aligned performance measure for your primary intervention After creating your required
performance measure you will be able to create additional performance measures if desired
To create a performance measure begin by selecting an objective The list of objectives includes those you selected
on the objectives tab
Provide a short descriptive title for your performance measure
Briefly describe the problem your program will address in this performance measure
Select the intervention(s) to be delivered by members andor member-supported volunteers The list of interventions
includes the ones you selected previously for this objective For aligned performance measures select only the
interventions that will lead to the outputs and outcomes of the aligned performance measure For output-only
performance measures select only the interventions that lead to the outputs If you selected ldquootherrdquo as an
intervention and wish to include an applicant-determined intervention in your aligned performance measure click
ldquoadd user interventionrdquo and enter a one or two word description of the intervention
Select output(s) for your performance measure The output list includes only the National Performance Measure
outputs that correspond to the objectives you have selected If you do not wish to select National Performance
Measures you may create an applicant-determined output by clicking in the checkbox next to the empty output text
box and entering the text of your output indicator You may create additional applicant-determined outputs for the
performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User Outputrdquo (Note you are not permitted to create an applicant-
determined output that duplicates a National Performance Measure output If you do not see the National
Performance Measure output that you wish to use check the Selection Rules in the National Performance Measure
Instructions to make sure you selected the objective associated with that performance measure)
Select outcome(s) If you have selected a National Performance Measures output with a corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome these outcomes will be available to select If you do not wish to select a National
Performance Measures outcome you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking in the checkbox next
to the empty outcome text box and entering the text of your outcome indicator If you do not wish to select any
outcome for your National Performance Measures output click in the checkbox next to the empty outcome text box
and enter ldquoNArdquo in the outcome indicator text box (Note all output-only measures must consist of National
Performance Measures outputs Applicant-determined outputs must be paired with applicant-determined outcomes)
You may create additional applicant-determined outcomes for the performance measure by clicking ldquoAdd User
Outcomerdquo
If you have not selected a National Performance Measures output or if there is no corresponding National
Performance Measures outcome create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking ldquoAdd User Outcomerdquo All
applicant-determined outputs must be paired with an applicant-determined outcome
For Capacity Building National Performance Measures you may select optional end outcomes You will not be
required to report on these outcomes and therefore will not be required to enter a data collection plan Complete the
corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected To select more than one focus area click ldquoAdd new
focus areardquo To select more than one beneficiary population click ldquoAdd new beneficiaryrdquo To de-select an item in
the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the drop-down To identify focus area outcomes that are connected
to your capacity building activities check the ldquoFocus Area Outcomerdquo box To select more than one focus area
outcome select ldquoAdd new outcomerdquo To de-select an item in the drop-down box click the first (blank) line in the
drop-down
Enter the number of MSYs and members your program will allocate to achieving the outcomes andor outputs you
have selected in this performance measure Since programs are not required to measure all grant activities the
19
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
number you enter does not have to correspond to the MSY chart you created on the MSYMembers tab however
the total number of MSYs across all performance measures within a single objective cannot exceed the total number
of MSYs previously allocated to that objective Members may be double-counted across performance measures but
MSYs may not Note that MSYs and members cannot be entered for performance measures associated with the Find
Opportunity objective For the Teacher Corps objective and any other performance measures that are focused
exclusively on member development (EN2 EN21 V2 V10) enter 0 MSYs and members
Click ldquonextrdquo to proceed to the data collection tab Later you can return to this tab to create additional performance
measures
Data Collection Tab
On this tab you will provide additional information about your interventions instruments and plan for data
collection The performance measures may be used after grant making separate from the grant narrative Thus all
information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the
performance measures themselves and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and
requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions and NOFO FAQs are met Should an
applicant choose to provide duplicate information about performance measures in the narrative this information will
also need to be in the performance measures module
Describe the design and dosage (frequency intensity duration) of the interventions you have selected Frequency
refers to how often an intervention occurs (for example number of sessions per week) intensity refers to the length
of time devoted to the intervention (for example number of minutes per session) and duration refers to the period of
time over which the intervention occurs (for example how many total weeks of sessions)
Expand each output and outcome and enter data collection information
Select the data collection method you will use to measure the output or outcome To select more than one method
click the ldquoAdd new methodrdquo button To de-select a method click the first (blank) line in the method drop-down
Describe the specific instrument(s) you will use to measure the output or outcome Include the title of the
instrument(s) a brief description of what it measures and how it will be administered and details about its reliability
and validity if applicable For outcomes specify how much improvement in knowledge attitude behavior or
condition is required to be counted as having improved and clearly explain how the instrument measures this
Enter the target number for your output or outcome Targets must be numbers not percents
For applicant-determined outputs and outcomes enter the unit of measure for your target The unit of measure
should describe the population you intend to count (children miles etc) Do not enter percents or member service
hours as units of measure In most cases the unit of measure should be the same for the outputs and outcomes in an
aligned performance measure
For output-only performance measures eGrants will require text in the outcome data collection fields If you do not
wish to have an outcome for your National Performance Measure output enter the following
Method Select ldquootherrdquo Instrument Description Enter ldquoNArdquo Target Enter ldquo1rdquo Unit of Measure Enter ldquoNArdquo
After entering data collection information for all outputs and outcomes click ldquoMark Completerdquo You will return to
the Performance Measure tab If you wish to create another performance measure repeat the process If you would
like to continue to the next step of the module click ldquoNextrdquo
Summary Tab
The summary tab shows all of the information you have entered in the module
20
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
To print a summary of all performance measures click ldquoPrint PDF for all Performance Measuresrdquo
To print one performance measure expand the measure and click ldquoPrint This Measurerdquo
Click ldquoEdit Performance Measurerdquo to return to the Performance Measure tab
Click ldquoEdit Data Collectionrdquo to return to the Data Collection tab
ldquoClick Validate Performance Measuresrdquo to validate this module prior to submitting your application You should also use the Performance Measures Checklist in Appendix B of the National Performance Measure to self-assess
your measure(s) prior to submission
21
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT B Detailed Budget Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Fixed-Amount Grants refer to Attachment D
Section I Program Operating Costs
Complete Section I Program Operating Costs of the Budget Worksheet by entering the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo ldquoCNCS
Sharerdquo and ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo for Parts A-I for Year 1 of the grant as follows
A Personnel Expenses
Under ldquoPositionTitle Descriptionrdquo list each staff position separately and provide salary and percentage of effort as
percentage of FTE devoted to this award Each staff personrsquos role listed in the budget must be described in the
application narrative and each staff person mentioned in the narrative must be listed in the budget as either CNCS or
Grantee share Because the purpose of this grant is to enable and stimulate volunteer community service do not
include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers However you may include the value of
volunteer services contributed to the organization for organizational functions such as accounting audit work or
training of staff and AmeriCorps members
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
Under ldquoPurposeDescriptionrdquo identify the types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each
staff position Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workerrsquos Compensation Retirement SUTA
Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the
salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If a fringe benefit amount is over 30 please list
covered items separately and justify the high cost Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not
included in the fringe benefit rates but are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
C 1 Staff Travel
Describe the purpose for which program staff will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for
airfare transportation lodging per diem and other travel-related expenses multiplied by the number of tripsstaff
Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per
diem and similar supporting information Reimbursement should not exceed the federal mileage rate unless a result
of applicant policy and justified in the budget narrative Only domestic travel is allowable
We expect all State Commissions and National Direct applicants to include funds in this line item for travel
for staff and site staff to attend CNCS-sponsored technical assistance meetings There are two to three such
opportunities per year
Please itemize the costs For example Two staff members will attend the Annual AmeriCorps Symposium in Washington DC 2 staff X $750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) X $400 lodging + $35 per diem = $2470 for Annual AmeriCorps Symposium
C 2 Member Travel
Describe the purpose for which members will travel Provide a calculation that includes itemized costs for airfare
transportation lodging per diem and other related expenses for members to travel outside their service location or
between sites Costs associated with local travel such as bus passes to local sites mileage reimbursement for use of
car etc should be included in this budget category Where applicable identify the current standard reimbursement
rate(s) of the organization for mileage daily per diem and similar supporting information
D Equipment
Equipment is defined as tangible non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year AND
an acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit (including accessories attachments and modifications) Any items
that do not meet this definition should be entered in E Supplies below Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
22
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
of the total CNCS funds requested If applicable show the unit cost and number of units you are requesting Provide
a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under ItemPurpose
E Supplies
AmeriCorps members must wear an AmeriCorps logo on a daily basis ndash preferably clothing with the AmeriCorps
logo The item with the AmeriCorps logo is a required budget expense Please include the cost of the item with the
AmeriCorps logo in your budget or explain how your program will be providing the item to AmeriCorps members
without using grant funds Grantees may add the AmeriCorps logo to their own local program uniform items using
federal funds Please note that your program will be using the AmeriCorps logo in the budget description
Include the amount of funds to purchase consumable supplies and materials including member service gear and
equipment that does not fit the definition above You must individually list any single item costing $1000 or more
Except for safety equipment grantees may only charge the cost of member service gear to the federal share if it
includes the AmeriCorps logo All safety gear may be charged to the federal share regardless of whether it includes
the AmeriCorps logo All other service gear must be purchased with non-CNCS funds
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Include costs for consultants related to the projectrsquos operations except training or evaluation consultants who will
be listed in Sections G and H below There is not a maximum daily rate
G 1 Staff Training
Include the costs associated with training staff on project requirements and training to enhance the skills staff need
for effective project implementation ie project or financial management team building etc If using a
consultant(s) for training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
G 2 Member Training
Include the costs associated with member training to support them in carrying out their service activities You may
also use this section to request funds to support training in Life after AmeriCorps If using a consultant(s) for
training indicate the estimated daily rate There is not a maximum daily rate
H Evaluation
Include costs for project evaluation activities including additional staff time or subcontracts use of evaluation
consultants purchase of instrumentation and other costs specifically for this activity not budgeted in Section A
Personnel Expenses This cost does not include the dailyweekly gathering of data to assess progress toward meeting
performance measures but is a larger assessment of the impact your project is having on the community as well as
an assessment of the overall systems and project design Indicate daily rates of consultants where applicable
I Other Program Operating Costs
Allowable costs in this budget category should include when applicable
Criminal history background checks for all members and for all employees or other individuals who receive a
salary education award living allowance or stipend or similar payment from the grant (federal or non-federal
share) Please include the cost for these checks for staff and members or explain how your program will be
covering the cost in the budget narrative
Office space rental for projects operating without an approved indirect cost rate agreement that covers office
space If space is budgeted and it is shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Utilities telephone internet postage copying and similar expenses that are specifically used for AmeriCorps
members and AmeriCorps project staff and are not part of the organizationrsquos indirect cost allocation pool If
such expenses are budgeted and shared with other projects or activities the costs must be equitably pro-rated
and allocated between the activities or projects
Recognition costs for members List each item and provide a justification in the budget narrative Gifts andor
food in an entertainmentevent setting are not allowable costs
Multi-state applicants Indicate the number of subgrants and the average amount of subgrants Indicate any
match that you will require of your subgrants under the ldquograntee sharerdquo column in this category Subgranted
funds may only cover costs allowable under federal and AmeriCorps regulations and terms and conditions
23
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Section II Member Costs
Member Costs are identified as ldquoLiving Allowancerdquo and ldquoMember Support Costsrdquo Your required match can be
federal state local or private sector funds
A Living Allowance
The narrative should clearly identify the number of members you are supporting by category (ie full-time half-
time reduced-half-time quarter-time minimum-time) and the amount of living allowance they will receive
allocating appropriate portions between the CNCS share (CNCS Share) and grantee share (match)
The minimum and maximum living allowance amounts are provided in the Notice
In eGrants enter the total number of members you are requesting in each category Enter the average amount of the
living allowance for each type of member In addition enter the number of members for which you are not
requesting funds for a living allowance but for which you are requesting education awards
B Member Support Costs
Consistent with the laws of the states where your members serve you must provide members with the benefits
described below
FICA Unless exempted by the IRS all projects must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
even when CNCS does not supply the living allowance If exempted please note in the narrative In the first
column next to FICA indicate the number of members who will receive FICA Calculate the FICA at 765 of
the total amount of the living allowance
Workerrsquos Compensation Some states require workerrsquos compensation for AmeriCorps members You must
check with State Departments of Labor or State Commissions where members serve to determine if you are
required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level If you are not required to pay workerrsquos compensation
you must obtain Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for members to cover in-
service injury or accidents
Health Care You must offer or make available health care benefits to full-time members in accordance with
AmeriCorps requirements Except as stated below you may not pay health care benefits to less-than-full-time
members with CNCS funds You may choose to provide health care benefits to less-than-full-time members
from other sources (ie non-federal) but the cost cannot be included in the budget Less-than-full-time
members who are serving in a full-time capacity for a sustained period of time (such as a full-time summer
project) are eligible for health care benefits In your budget narrative indicate the number of members who will
receive health care benefits CNCS will not pay for dependent coverage
Unemployment Insurance and Other Member Support Costs Include any other required member support
costs here Some states require unemployment coverage for their AmeriCorps members You may not charge
the cost of unemployment insurance taxes to the grant unless mandated by state law Programs are responsible
for determining the requirements of state law by consulting State Commissions legal counsel or the applicable
state agencies
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Definitions
Administrative costs are general or centralized expenses of the overall administration of an organization that
receives CNCS funds and do not include particular project costs These costs may include administrative staff
positions For organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for federal awards administrative costs mean
those costs that are included in the organizationrsquos indirect cost rate agreement Such costs are generally identified
with the organizationrsquos overall operation and are further described in Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Guidance
Options for Calculating AdministrativeIndirect Costs (choose either A B or C)
24
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Applicants choose one of three methods to calculate allowable administrative costs ndash a CNCS-fixed percentage rate method a federally approved indirect cost rate method or a de minimis method Regardless of the option chosen the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5 of the total CNCS funds actually expended under this grant Do not create additional lines in this category
A CNCS-Fixed Percentage Method
Five Percent Fixed Administrative Costs Option
The CNCS-fixed percentage rate method allows you to charge administrative costs up to a cap without a federally
approved indirect cost rate and without documentation supporting the allocation If you choose the CNCS-fixed
percentage rate method (Section IIIA in eGrants) you may charge for administrative costs a fixed 5 of the total
of the CNCS funds expended In order to charge this fixed 5 the grantee match for administrative costs may not
exceed 10 of all direct cost expenditures
1 To determine the maximum CNCS share for Section III Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding shares of
Sections I and II by 00526 This is the maximum amount you can request as Corporation share The factor 00526 is
used to calculate the 5 maximum amount of federal funds that may be budgeted for administrative (indirect) costs
rather than 00500 as a way to mathematically compensate for determining Section III costs when the total budget
(Sections I + II + III) is not yet established Enter this amount as the CNCS share for Section III A
2 To determine the Grantee share for Section III Multiply the total (both CNCS and grantee share) of Sections I
and II by 10 (010) and enter this amount as the grantee share for Section III A
3 Enter the sum of the CNCS and grantee shares under Total Amount
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available to programs for administrative costs up
to 2 that decision is identified within each subgrantrsquos budget If the commission elects to retain 1 of the
administrative costs to calculate these fractional shares within Section III of the subgrant budget one-fifth (20)
of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs is allocated to the commissionrsquos share and four-fifths
(80) of the federal dollars budgeted for administrative costs are allocated to the programrsquos share The
allocation between commission and program shares would be calculated as follows
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (020) = Commission Share
([Section I] + [Section II] x 00526) x (080) = Subgrantee Share
If a commission elects to retain a share that is less than 1 budgeted for administrative costs adjust the calculation
above as appropriate
Commissions are not eligible to retain any portion of funds from fixed-amount subgrants
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate
If you have a federally approved indirect cost rate this method must be used and the rate will constitute
documentation of your administrative costs not to exceed the 5 maximum federal share payable by CNCS
Specify the Cost Type for which your organization has current documentation on file ie Provisional
Predetermined Fixed or Final indirect cost rate Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage) and the base upon
which this rate is calculated (direct salaries salaries and fringe benefits etc) CNCS does not restrict the overall
indirect cost rate claimed It is at your discretion whether or not to claim your entire IDC rate to calculate
administrative costs If you choose to claim a lower rate please include this rate in the Rate Claimed field
1 Determine the base amount of direct costs to which you will apply the IDC rate including both the CNCS and
Grantee shares as prescribed by your established rate agreement (ie based on salaries and benefits total direct
costs or other) Then multiply the appropriate direct costs by the rate being claimed This will determine the total
amount of indirect costs allowable under the grant
25
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
2 To determine the CNCS share Multiply the sum of the CNCS funding share in Sections I and II by 00526 This
is the maximum amount you can claim as the CNCS share of indirect costs
If a commission elects to retain a share of the 5 of federal funds available please note the percentage or amount in
the text There is no separate line item to show this calculation
3 To determine the Grantee share Subtract the amount calculated in step 2 (the CNCS administrative share) from
the amount calculated in step 1 (the Indirect Cost total) This is the amount the applicant can claim as grantee
share for administrative costs
C De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Organizations who have never at any point in time held a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those
non-Federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200mdashStates and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect
Cost Proposals paragraph (d)(1)(B)) and who receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding--may
indefinitely use a de minimus rate of 10 of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Additional information regarding
what is included in MTDC and use of this option can be found at 2 CFR 200414(f) and 20068 If this option is
elected it must be used consistently across all federal awards
Source of Funds
In the ldquoSource of Fundsrdquo field that appears at the end of Budget Section III enter a brief description of the match
Identify each match source separately Identify if the match is secured or proposed Include dollar amount the match
classification (cash or in-kind) and the source type (Private StateLocal or Federal) for your entire match Define
all acronyms the first time they are used The total amount of Source of Match should equal the Grantee Share
amount
Note the value of the Segal Education Awards that members earn for their service is not identified in the budget
Also the childcare reimbursements provided to eligible full-time members is not included in the budget
26
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT C Budget Worksheet (eGrants Budget Section) Section I Program Operating Costs
A Personnel Expenses
PositionTitleDescription Qty Annual
Salary Time
Total
Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Personnel Fringe Benefits
PurposeDescription Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C1 Staff Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
C 2 Member Travel
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
D Equipment
Item PurposeJustification Qty Unit Cost Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
E Supplies
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
27
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
F Contractual and Consultant Services
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G1 Staff Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
G2 Member Training
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
H Evaluation
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
I Other Program Operating Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section I Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
28
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Section II Member Costs
A Living Allowance
Item
Mbrs
Allowanc
e Rate
wo
Allowa
nce
Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675
hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Totals
B Member Support Costs
Purpose Calculation Daily
Rate Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
Subtotal Section II Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Subtotal Sections I + II
29
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
A Corporation-fixed Percentage Rate
Purpose Calculation Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Totals
B Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Or De Minimis Rate of 10 of Modified Total Direct
Costs
Cost
Type
Cost
Basis
Calculation Rate Rate Claimed Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Total Sections I + II + III Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share
Budget Total Validate this budget
Required Match Percentages Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification (Cash Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
30
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT D Detailed Budget Instructions for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
These instructions apply only to applicants for fixed-amount grants including education award programs
(EAPs)
EAP and Fixed-Amount grant applicants may only request a fixed amount of funding per MSY Therefore Fixed-
Amount applicants are not required to complete a detailed budget or complete the grantee share column However
you must complete the source of match chart to identify the sources of the additional revenue you need to operate
the program If you are applying for a Stipended fixed-amount grant you must pay at least the minimum living
allowance listed in the Notice for each type of position you are proposing
Budget Section II AmeriCorps Member Positions
Member Positions
Identify the number of members you are requesting by category (ie full-time half-time reduced half-time quarter-
time minimum-time) and list under the column labeled wo Allow (without CNCS-funded living allowance)
Leave all other columns blank
The total number of member service years (MSY) will automatically calculate at the bottom of the Member
Positions chart The MSY are calculated as follows
Calculation MSY
Member Positions
_____Full-time (1700 hours) (______ members x 1000) =
_____Half-time (900 hours) (______ members x 0500) =
_____Reduced half-time (675 hours) (______ members x 03809524) =
_____Quarter-time (450 hours) (______ members x 026455027) =
_____Minimum-time (300 hours) (______ members x 021164022) =
Total MSY
Under ldquoCalculationrdquo you will enter the calculation for your grant request Applicants may request up to $800 per
member service year (MSY)
31
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Fixed Award
Display your calculation in the following format
Total of MSYs ________ x MSY amount (See NOFO for amounts)____ = Total Grant Request $____
Type the total amount requested in the ldquoTotal Amountrdquo and ldquoCNCS Sharerdquo columns Leave the ldquoGrantee Sharerdquo
blank See example below (applies to a Stipended Fixed Amount grant)
Purpose Calculation Total
Amount
CNCS
Share
Grantee
Share
edit del
Program Grant
Request
475 MSY
X $9500MSY
$451250 $451250 $0
Subtotal $451250 $451250 $0
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
32
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT E Budget Worksheet for Fixed-Amount Grants (eGrants Budget Section)
Complete the fields for the wo Allowance only
Member Positions
Item Mbrs
Allowance Rate
wo Allow
Total Amount
CNCS Share
Grantee Share
Full-time (1700 hrs)
Half-time (900 hrs)
Reduced Half-time (675 hrs)
Quarter-time (450 hrs)
Minimum-time (300 hrs)
Subtotal MSY CostMSY
Purpose Calculation Total Amount
CNCS Share Grantee Share
Program Grant Request
Subtotal
Source of Funds
Match Description (Note Amount Match Classification Match Source (Federal
whether Secured or (Cash or In Kind) StateLocal Private)
Proposed)
33
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT F Budget Checklist
Below is a checklist to help you make certain that you submit an accurate budget narrative that meets AmeriCorps
requirements Note This does not apply to fixed-amount grants
In Compliance Section I Program Operating Costs
Yes __ No __
Costs charged under the Personnel line item directly relate to the operation of the AmeriCorps
project Examples include costs for staff who recruit train place or supervise members as well as
manage the project
Yes __ No __
Staff indirectly involved in the management or operation of the applicant organization are funded
through the administrative cost section (Section III) of the budget Examples of administrative costs
include central management and support functions
Yes __ No __
Staff fundraising expenses are not charged to the grant You may not charge AmeriCorps staff
membersrsquo time and related expenses for fundraising to the federal or grantee share of the grant
Expenses incurred to raise funds must be paid out of the funds raised Development officers and
fundraising staff are not allowable expenses
Yes __ No __
The types of fringe benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position are
described Allowable fringe benefits typically include FICA Workersrsquo Compensation Retirement
SUTA Health and Life Insurance IRA and 401K You may provide a calculation for total benefits
as a percentage of the salaries to which they apply or list each benefit as a separate item If the
fringe amount is over 30 please list separately
Yes __ No __ Holidays leave and other similar vacation benefits are not included in the fringe benefit rates but
are absorbed into the personnel expenses (salary) budget line item
Yes __ No __ The purposes for all staff and member travel are clearly identified
Yes __ No __ You have budgeted funds for State Commission and National Direct staff travel to CNCS sponsored
meetings in the budget narrative under Staff Travel
Yes __ No __ Funds to pay relocation expenses of AmeriCorps members are not in the federal share of the
budget
Yes __ No __ Funds for the purchase of equipment (does not include general use office equipment) are limited to
10 of the total grant amount
Yes __ No __ All single equipment items over $5000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __ Justificationexplanation of equipment items is included in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __ All single supply items over $1000 per unit are specifically listed
Yes __ No __
Cost of items with the AmeriCorps logo that will be worn daily is included for all AmeriCorps
members Or if not there is an explanation of how the program will be providing the AmeriCorps
logo item to AmeriCorps members using funds other than CNCS grant funds
Yes __ No __
You only charged to the federal share of the budget member service gear that includes the
AmeriCorps logo and noted that the gear will have the AmeriCorps logo with the exception of
safety equipment
Yes __ No __ Does the budget reflect adequate budgeted costs for project evaluation
Yes __ No __
Have you provided budgeted costs for criminal history checks of members and grant-funded staff
that are in covered positions per 45 CFR 2522205 Or if not there is an explanation of how the
program will be covering the costs
Yes __ No __ Are all items in the budget narrative itemized and the purpose of the funds justified
34
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
In Compliance Section II Member Costs
Yes __ No __
Are the living allowance amounts correct Full-time AmeriCorps members must receive at least the
minimum living allowance
Note Programs in existence prior to September 21 1993 may offer a lower living allowance than
the minimum If such a program chooses to offer a living allowance it is exempt from the minimum
requirement but not from the maximum requirement
Yes __ No __
Living allowances are not paid on an hourly basis They may be calculated using service hours and
program length to derive a weekly or biweekly distribution amount Divide the distribution in equal
increments that are not based on the specified number of hours served
Yes __ No __
Is FICA calculated correctly You must pay FICA for any member receiving a living allowance
Unless exempted by the IRS calculate FICA at 765 of the total amount of the living allowance If
exempted from paying FICA is the exemption noted in the budget narrative
Yes __ No __
Is the Workersrsquo Compensation calculation correct Some states require workerrsquos compensation for
AmeriCorps members Check with your State Department of Labor or State Commission to
determine whether or not you are required to pay workerrsquos compensation and at what level (ie
rate) If you are not required to pay Workersrsquo Compensation you will provide similar coverage for
membersrsquo on-the-job injuries through their own existing coverage or a new policy purchased in
accordance with normal procedures (ie death and dismemberment coverage)
Yes __ No __
Health care is provided for full-time AmeriCorps members only (unless part-time serving in a full-
time capacity) If your project chooses to provide health care to other half-time members you may
not use federal funds to help pay for any portion of the cost Projects must provide health care
coverage to all full-time members who do not have adequate health care coverage at the time of
enrollment or who lose coverage due to participation in the project In addition projects must
provide coverage if a full-time member loses coverage during the term of service through no
deliberate act of hisher own
Yes __ No __ Unemployment insurance is only budgeted if state law requires it
In Compliance Section III AdministrativeIndirect Costs
Yes __ No __
Applicant does not have a current federally approved indirect cost rate and has chosen to use the
CNCS-fixed percentage method and the maximum federal share of administrative costs does not
exceed 5 of the total federal funds budgeted To determine the federal administrative share
multiply all other budgeted federal funds by 0526
Yes __ No __ Applicant has chosen to use CNCS fixed percentage method and the maximum grantee share is at
10 or less of total budgeted funds
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash The maximum grantee share does not exceed
the federally approved rate less the 5 CNCS share
Yes __ No __ Applicant has a current approved indirect cost rate ndash the type of rate the IDC rate percentage the
rate claimed and the base to which the rate is applied has been specified
Yes __ No __ Applicant is directly applying to CNCS and a copy of the current approved indirect cost rate
agreement has been entered into eGrants
Yes __ No __ Applicant has never had a federally approved indirect cost rate and is choosing to use a de minimis
rate of 10 of modified total direct costs
35
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
In Compliance Match
Yes __ No __ Is the overall match being met at the required level based on the year of funding
Yes __ No __
For all matching funds proposed vs secured the source(s) [private state local andor federal] the
type of contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of match are clearly identified in the
narrative and in the Source of Funds field in eGrants
Yes __ No __ The amount of match is for the entire amount in the budget narrative (The total amount of match
equals the amount in the budget)
36
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT G Alternative Match Instructions
Grantees are required to meet an overall matching rate that increases over time You have the flexibility to meet the
overall match requirements in any of the three budget areas as long as the minimum match of 24 for the first three
years and the increasing minimums in years thereafter are maintained See 45 CFR sectsect 252135ndash252190 for the
specific regulations
Special Circumstances for an Alternative Match Schedule Under certain circumstances applicants may qualify
to meet alternative matching requirements that increase over the years to 35 instead of 50 as specified in the
regulations at sect252160(b) To qualify you must demonstrate that your program is either located in a rural county or
in a severely economically distressed community as defined below
A Rural County In determining whether a program is rural CNCS will consider the most recent Beale code rating
published by the US Department of Agriculture for the county in which the program is located Any program
located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match requirement
See Attachment H for the Table of Beale codes
B Severely Economically Distressed County In determining whether a program is located in a severely
economically distressed county CNCS will consider the following list of county-level characteristics See
Attachment H for a list of website addresses where this publicly available information can be found
The county-level per capita income is less than or equal to 75 percent of the national average for all
counties using the most recent census data or Bureau of Economic Analysis data
The county-level poverty rate is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national average for all counties
using the most recent census data and
The county-level unemployment is above the national average for all counties for the previous 12 months
using the most recently available Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The areas served by the program lack basic infrastructure such as water or electricity
C Program Location Except when approved otherwise CNCS will determine the location of your program based
on the legal applicantrsquos address If you believe the legal applicantrsquos address is not the appropriate way to consider
the location of your program you must provide relevant facts about your program location in your request CNCS
will in its sole discretion determine whether some other address is more appropriate for determining a programrsquos
location
If your program is located in one of these areas see the instructions below for applying for this alternative match
schedule You must submit your request to the alternative schedule per the information contained in the Notice
CNCS will review your request and notify you within 30 days if you qualify for the alternative schedule and provide
instructions for entering your budget into eGrants under the Alternative Match Schedule
If approved for the alternative schedules programs will base their budget in the upcoming application on the
approved alternative match The alternative match requirement will be in effect for whatever portion of the three-
year project period remains or if applying as a new grantee for the upcoming three-year grant cycle
D Instructions for the Alternative Match Schedule Programs operating in one state must send their requests to
the State Commission for review and approval The Commission will then forward the approved request to CNCS
for consideration
Submit mail applications per the NOFO instructions
37
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT H Beale Codes and County-Level Economic Data for Alternative Match Requests
Rural Community
Beale codes are published by the US Department of Agriculture and are used to classify counties as being more
urban or more rural Counties are designated on a scale from one to nine according to the following descriptions
2003 Beale Codes
Code Metropolitan
Type
Description
1 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more
2 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of 250000 to 1 million
3 Metropolitan Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250000
4 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more adjacent to a metropolitan area
5 Non-metro Urban population of 20000 or more not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 adjacent to a metropolitan area
7 Non-metro Urban population of 2500 to 19999 not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population adjacent to a
metropolitan area
9 Non-metro Completely rural or less than 2500 urban population not adjacent to a
metropolitan area
Any program located in a county with a Beale code of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9 is eligible to apply for the alternative match
Severely Economically Distressed Community
The following table provides the website addresses where the publicly available information on county-level
economic data including per capita income poverty rate and unemployment levels can be found
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
wwwecondatanet EcondataNet This site links to a variety of social and economic
data by states counties and metro areas
httpwwwbeagovregional Bureau of Economic Analysisrsquo Regional Economic Information
System (REIS) Provides data on per capita income by county for
all states except Puerto Rico
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
httpsfactfindercensusgovface
snavjsfpagesindexxhtml
Census Bureaursquos American Fact-finder Provides census data
including estimates on poverty per capita income and unemployment
by counties states and metro areas including Puerto Rico
wwwblsgov Bureau of Labor Statisticsrsquo Local Area Unemployment Statistics
(LAUS) Provides data on annual and monthly employment and
unemployment by counties for all states and Puerto Rico
38
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
WEBSITE ADDRESS EXPLANATION
httpswwwersusdagovdata-
productsrural-urban-continuum-
codesaspx
US Department of Agriculturersquos Rural-Urban Continuum
Codes Provides urban rural code for all counties in US
wwwcensusgovhheswwwsaip
eindexhtml
Census Bureaursquos Small Area Poverty Estimates Provides data on
poverty and population estimates by county for all states except
Puerto Rico
39
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT I Assurances and Certifications
(eGrants Review Authorize and Submit Section)
Instructions
By signing and submitting this application as the duly authorized representative of the applicant you certify that the
applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications described below
a) Inability to certify
Your inability to provide the assurances and certifications listed below will not necessarily result in denial of a grant You
must submit an explanation of why you cannot do so We will consider your explanation in determining whether to enter
into this transaction However your failure to furnish an explanation will disqualify your application
b) Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter
into this transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition
to other remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
c) Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous
when submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
d) Definitions
The terms ldquocovered transactionrdquo ldquodebarredrdquo ldquosuspendedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquolower tier covered transactionrdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo
ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprimary covered transactionrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this clause have the
meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549 An applicant
shall be considered a ldquoprospective primary participant in a covered transactionrdquo as defined in the rules implementing
Executive Order 12549 You may contact us for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations
ASSURANCES
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the applicant
Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional managerial and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning management and
completion of the project described in this application
Will give the awarding agency the Comptroller General of the United States and if appropriate the state through any
authorized representative access to and the right to examine all records books papers or documents related to the
award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or
agency directives
Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their position for a purpose that constitutes or presents the
appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest or personal gain
Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency
Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 USC 4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards
for merit systems for programs funded under one of the nineteen statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of
OPMrsquos Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 CFR 900 Subpart F)
Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination These include but are not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794)
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42
USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act
40
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended
relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health
Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290dd-3 and 290ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug
abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination in the sale rental or financing of housing (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s)
which may apply to the application
Will comply or has already complied with the requirements of Titles II and III of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (PL 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of
persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs These
requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of federal participation in
purchases
Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 USC 1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political
activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds
Will comply as applicable with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 USC 276a and 276a-77) the Copeland
Act (40 USC 276c and 18 USC 874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 USC 327-333)
regarding labor standards for Federally assisted construction sub-agreements
Will comply if applicable with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (PL 93-234) which requires the recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the
program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10000 or more
Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following (a) institution of
environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190) and
Executive Order (EO) 11514 (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738 (c) protection of wetlands
pursuant to EO 11990 (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988 (e) assurance of
project consistency with the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 (16 USC 1451 et seq) (f) conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955 as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq) (g) protection of underground
sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 as amended (PL 93-523) and (h) protection of
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (PL 93-205)
Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et seq) related to protecting components or
potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system
Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 as amended (16 USC 470) EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties) and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16USC 469a-l et seq)
Will comply with PL 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research development and
related activities supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (PL 89-544 as amended 7 USC 2131 et seq)
pertaining to the care handling and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research teaching or other activities
supported by this award of assistance
Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 USC sectsect 4801 et seq) which prohibits the use
of lead based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures
Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of
1984 as amended and 2 CFR Part 200 Chapter II Subpart F
Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws executive orders regulations application
guidelines and policies governing this program
Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities including those stated in applicable Notice grant provisions
and program regulations and will ensure that no assistance made available by CNCS will be used to support any such
prohibited activities
Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the national service laws which provide that an individual with
responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the national service laws shall not
41
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
discriminate against a participant in or member of the staff of such project or program on the basis of race color
national origin sex age political affiliation disability or on the basis of religion (NOTE the prohibition on religious
discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS
funds but employed with the organization operating the project prior to or on the date the grant was awarded If your
organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief your organization
may be entitled under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 42 USC sect 2000bb to receive federal funds and yet
maintain that hiring practice even though the national service legislation includes a restriction on religious
discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a Corporation-funded project and paid with Corporation grant
funds (42 USC sectsect 5057(c) and 12635(c)) For the circumstances under which this may occur please see the
document ldquoEffect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grantsrdquo
httpwwwusdojgovarchivefbcieffect-rfrapdf
Will comply with all other federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination including any self-evaluation requirements
These include but are not limited to (a)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352) which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as
amended (20 USC 1681-1683 and 1685-1686) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (c) Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 USC 794) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps
(d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended (42 USC 6101-6107) which prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age (e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (PL 92-255) as amended relating to
nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse (f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention
Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (PL 91-616) as amended relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of
alcohol abuse or alcoholism (g) sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 USC 290 dd-3
and 290 ee-3) as amended relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records (h) Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 USC 3601 et seq) as amended relating to nondiscrimination in the sale rental or
financing of housing and (i) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application
Will provide in the design recruitment and operation of any AmeriCorps program for broad-based input from ndash (1)
the community served the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is
located and potential participants in the program and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of
experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors if these
entities exist in the area to be served by the program
Will prior to the placement of participants consult with the appropriate local labor organization if any representing
employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an
AmeriCorps program to ensure compliance with the nondisplacement requirements specified in section 177 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA)
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that includes or serves children consult with the parents or legal guardians
of children in developing and operating the program
Will before transporting minor children provide the childrenrsquos parents or legal guardians with the reason for the
transportation and obtain the parentrsquos or legal guardianrsquos permission for such transportation consistent with state law
Will in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a State consult with and coordinate activities
with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates
Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and any national service program supported by a grant made by
the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human educational environmental or public safety needs
through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed
Will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA and in
CNCSrsquos regulations at sect 2540100
Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NCSA and in CNCSrsquos
regulations at 45 CFR sect 2540230
Will provide participants in the national service program with the training skills and knowledge necessary for the
projects that participants are called upon to perform including training on prohibited activities
42
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Will provide support services to participants such as information regarding GED attainment and post-service
employment and if appropriate opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences
Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program carried out using assistance provided to the
applicant under section 121 of the NCSA or with the approval of CNCS conduct an internal evaluation of the
program
Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods which are to be used as part of such evaluation to
determine the programrsquos impact on communities and persons served by the program on participants who take part in
the projects and in other such areas as required by CNCS
Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS
Has not violated a Federal criminal statute
If a state applicant will ensure that the State subgrants will be used to support national service programs selected
consistent with the requirements of the NCSA
If a state applicant will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national
service positions taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs population density and
economic distress
If a state applicant will ensure that not less than 60 of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national
service programs other than those carried out by a State agency unless CNCS approves otherwise
43
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification ndash Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
This certification is required by the government-wide regulations implementing Executive Order 12549 Debarment and
Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 Section 180335 What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a
Federal agency
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that neither the
applicant nor its principals
Is presently excluded or disqualified
Has been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or had a civil
judgment rendered against it for one of those offenses within that time period
Is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal State or local)
with commission or any of the offenses listed in sect 180800(a) or
Has had one or more public transactions (Federal State or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause
or default
Certification ndash Drug Free Workplace
This certification is required by the Corporationrsquos regulations implementing sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act
of 1988 (PL 100-690) 45 CFR Part 2545 Subpart B The regulations require certification by grantees prior to award that they
will make a good faith effort on a continuing basis to maintain a drug-free workplace The certification set out below is a
material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the agency determines to award the grant False
certification or violation of the certification may be grounds for suspension of payments suspension or termination of grants or
government-wide suspension or debarment (see 45 CFR Part 2542 Subparts G and H)
As the duly authorized representative of the grantee I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the grantee will
provide a drug-free workplace by
A Publishing a drug-free workplace statement that
a Notifies employees that the unlawful manufacture distribution dispensing possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited in the granteersquos workplace
b Specifies the actions that the grantee will take against employees for violating that prohibition and
c Informs employees that as a condition of employment under any award each employee will abide by the
terms of the statement and notify the grantee in writing if the employee is convicted for a violation of a
criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace within five days of the conviction
B Requiring that a copy of the statement described in paragraph (A) be given to each employee who will be engaged in
the performance of any Federal award
C Establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about
a The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace
b The granteersquos policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace
c Any available drug counseling rehabilitation and employee assistance programs and
d The penalties that the grantee may impose upon them for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace
D Providing us as well as any other Federal agency on whose award the convicted employee was working with written
notification within 10 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug violation in the
workplace
E Taking one of the following actions within 30 calendar days of learning that an employee has been convicted of a drug
violation in the workplace
a Taking appropriate personnel action against the employee up to and including termination or
b Requiring that the employee participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program
approved for these purposes by a Federal State or local health law enforcement or other appropriate
agency
44
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
F Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (A)
through (E)
Certification - Lobbying Activities
As required by 31 USC 1352 as the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify to the best of my knowledge and
belief that
No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer of
Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract the making of any federal loan the entering into
of any cooperative agreement or modification of any federal contract grant loan or cooperative agreement
If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency a member of Congress an officer or employee of
Congress or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract grant loan or
cooperative agreement the applicant will submit Standard Form-LLL Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying in
accordance with its instructions
The applicant will require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all
subcontracts at all tiers (including subcontracts subgrants and contracts under grants loans and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients will certify and disclose accordingly
Erroneous certification or assurance
The assurances and certifications are material representations of fact upon which we rely in determining whether to enter into this
transaction If we later determine that you knowingly submitted an erroneous certification or assurance in addition to other
remedies available to the federal government we may terminate this transaction for cause or default
Notice of error in certification or assurance
You must provide immediate written notice to us if at any time you learn that a certification or assurance was erroneous when
submitted or has become erroneous because of changed circumstances
Definitions
The terms ldquodebarmentrdquo ldquosuspensionrdquo ldquoexcludedrdquo ldquodisqualifiedrdquo ldquoineligiblerdquo ldquoparticipantrdquo ldquopersonrdquo ldquoprincipalrdquo ldquoproposalrdquo
and ldquovoluntarily excludedrdquo as used in this document have the meanings set out in 2 CFR Part 180 subpart I ldquoDefinitionsrdquo A
transaction shall be considered a ldquocovered transactionrdquo if it meets the definition in 2 CFR part 180 subpart B ldquoCovered
Transactionsrdquo
Assurance requirement for subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that if we approve your application you shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier
covered transaction with a person who is debarred suspended declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in
this covered transaction unless authorized by us
Assurance inclusion in subgrant agreements
You agree by submitting this proposal that you will obtain an assurance from prospective participants in all lower tier covered
transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions that the participants are not debarred suspended ineligible
or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction
Assurance of subgrant principals
You may rely upon an assurance of a prospective participant in a lower-tier covered transaction that is not debarred suspended
ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction unless you know that the assurance is erroneous You may
decide the method and frequency by which you determine the eligibility of your principals You may but are not required to
check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs
Non-assurance in subgrant agreements
If you knowingly enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended debarred ineligible or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction in addition to other remedies available to the federal government we may
terminate this transaction for cause or default
Prudent person standard
Nothing contained in the aforementioned may be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in
good faith the assurances and certifications required Your knowledge and information is not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings
45
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Certification - Grant Review Process (State Commissions Only)
I certify that in conducting our review process we have ensured compliance with the National and Community Service Act of
1990 and all state laws and conflict of interest rules
ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS ASSURANCE SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this assurances page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Assurances
section
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
CERTIFICATION SIGNATURE NOTE Sign this form and include in the application
SIGNATURE By signing this certification page you certify that you agree to perform all actions and support all intentions in the Certification
sections of this application The three Certifications are
Certification Debarment Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters
Certification Drug-Free Workplace
Certification Lobbying Activities
Organization Name
Program Name
Name and Title of Authorized Representative
Signature
Date
46
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
ATTACHMENT J eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions
A new feature has been introduced to eGrants which allows users to input Indirect Cost Rate information into their
eGrants account Grantees who will be claiming indirect costs on CNCS awards are required to enter the following
indirect cost rates in eGrants federally negotiated rates state negotiated rates and the use of de minimis rate of 10
of modified total direct costs (MTDC) Recipients of AmeriCorps State and National awards may only charge 5 of
their negotiated rate to the federal share of the award with the remaining balance being charged to match (See 45
CFR sectsect 252195 and 2540110)
Once a rate is entered and saved in eGrants it cannot be edited If users inadvertently enter incorrect
information a new entry must be submitted with the correct information
Entry for the IDCR screen can be accessed using the following steps
1) From the eGrants Home screen in the lower panel under Managing My Account click on My Account
2) From the My Account screen under Edit My Organization Info click on Add and View Indirect Cost
Rate
47
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
3) From the Add and View Indirect Cost Rate screen select add a new to add a rate or cancel to back out
of the screen
Field by field instructions can be found by clicking the ldquordquo located next to Indirect Cost Rate or Indirect Cost Rate Record
If add a new is selected the screen below will appear
48
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
4) Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate to record Respond Yes or No If No is selected users cannot go any
further and nothing will be recorded If Yes is selected users can continue
If your organization will be claiming a current approved indirect cost rate on any CNCS award it must be
reported on this page The rate information you record will be used in all award negotiation and reviews
until it is superseded by a new approved rate or expires Applicants will have the opportunity to identify in
application submissions if they elect to use a lesser percentage of an approved rate
5) Rate Type If your rate type is not one of the following options contact your grants officer for guidance
Federally Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by your cognizant federal agency
Cognizance is determined by the agency which provides the highest amount of direct federal
funding
State Negotiated ndash select if your rate has been negotiated by a state agency or other pass through
entity or
10 of MTDC ndash select if your organization qualifies for and elects to use the 10 de minimus
rate of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Organizations qualify for this rate if they have
NEVER had a federally negotiated rate State entities must also not receive more than $35 million
in direct federal funding
Rates must be used consistently across ALL federal awards
6) Issuing Agency Respond by selecting the federal agency that approved your rate or if the federal agency
who issued your rate is not listed select Other or if your rate is issued by a state agency select Other
49
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
Identify federal agencies using the drop-down list If your rate is approved by a federal agency other than
the ones listed notify your grants officer Other federal agencies may be added as needed
7) Acceptance Date Enter a valid date
The acceptance date is usually identified where the rate was signed by the issuing state or federal agency
8) Rate Status Select one of the following options Final Provisional Predetermined Fixed Other or
Other ndash 10
Rates issued by federal agencies will almost always be final or provisional However if your organization
has formally notified a federal or state agency of your eligibility and intent to use the 10-percent of MTDC
rate select Other ndash 10 If your organization has a predetermined or fixed rate select those options
accordingly If a state rate indicates a term that is not listed here select Other and notify your grants officer
Additional rate status options may be added as needed
9) Effective From Enter a valid date
The effective from date is found on your indirect cost rate document If using the 10-percent of MTDC rate
enter todayrsquos date or the date your organization formally started charging costs under the 10-percent of
MTDC rate
10) Effective To Enter a valid date
The effective to date is found on your indirect cost rate document If your organization has received
approval to extend your rate enter the end date of the extension
11) No Expiration Check or leave unchecked
If your rate does not have an expiration date as is the case with the use of the 10 percent of MTDC rate
check this box otherwise leave unchecked
12) Extended Respond Yes or No
If the rate ldquoeffective tordquo date has been extended with approval of the federal cognizant agency under
authority of the 2014 Omni Circular respond Yes If it is not an extended rate effective to date respond
No
13) Rate Base Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the rate base used to determine the indirect cost pool as stated on your indirect cost rate
approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate ldquoSummaryrdquo and
record the most important content
14) Treatment of Fringe Benefits Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how fringe benefits were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
15) Treatment of Paid Absences Enter up to 500 characters including spaces
Enter the text as found on your indirect cost rate approval document For rates issued by state agencies
enter either the how paid absences were treated in determining the indirect cost rate as stated on your
indirect cost rate approval document or ldquoState Rate NArdquo If you need more than 500 characters indicate
ldquoSummaryrdquo and record the most important content
50
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51
16) When you have completed all of the above entries click the ldquosave amp closerdquo button at the bottom of the
page
If you would like to cancel your entry click the ldquocancelrdquo button and the entry will be cancelled All
entry information will be lost and no entry will be shown
Once a rate is saved it cannot be modified
If users inadvertently enter incorrect information a new entry must be submitted with the correct
information
17) Order of Rates - Once an entry is saved users will be able to see the rates they have entered Rates will
display in the order of entry Entry of rates will provide users and CNCS with a historical record which can
be used to clarify indirect cost rate inquiries for monitoring consistent record maintenance and audits
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your assigned grants officer
51